The desirability of separating sludge, oil and the like from contaminated water is well known.
One device that has been suggested for such continuous separation uses a process tank to channel the contaminated water through a corrugated plate pack. The corrugated plate pack has a plurality of corrugated plates mounted one above the other with the water flowing between the plates from a first compartment to a second compartment formed within the tank. Such passage permits the oil and the like (light components of the contaminated water) to flow upwardly and back into the first compartment, while the sludge and the like (the heavy components of the contaminated water) settle out of the water and into the second compartment. A major difficulty with such prior art plate packs has been that the sludge and the like stick within and clog the passageways formed by the plurality of plates and thereby adversely affect the pack's operating efficiency.
Accordingly, it is a primary aim of the present invention to provide an apparatus which considerably reduces clogging of the passageways fromed in a plate pack separator, thereby improving its efficiency.
In accordance with the invention, an apparatus is provided for use in a process tank for separating sludge, oil and the like from contaminated water. The process tank includes walls separating the tank into first and second compartments, one of the walls having an opening therein to permit passage of the contaminated water therethrough and another of the walls being mounted at an incline to the horizon. The apparatus also includes an inlet mounted with the tank for carrying contaminated water into the first compartment, a first outlet mounted with the tank for removing oil and the like separated from the contaminated water from the first compartment, a second outlet mounted with the tank for removing sludge and the like separated from the contaminated water from the second compartment. Further, the apparatus includes a plate pack mounted with the inclined wall in said tank, having side walls, a top and a bottom to form a conduit for carrying the contaminated water from a first to a second end. The plates are mounted one above the other and extend between the side walls to provide a plurality of passageways. The plates are sufficiently displaced from one another to permit laminar flow of the water through the passageways and permit the water to pass from the first to the second compartment by flowing downwardly through the passageways. Oil and the like is separated from the water during such passage and rises to flow out the first end, while sludge and the like separates from the water during such passage to settle and flow out the second end. The ends of the plates are disposed in the second end of the conduit to form an essentially vertical plane when the pack is mounted on the inclined wall. This substantially reduces clogging of the passageways during separation of the sludge from the water when flowing through the pack.
Also, in accordance with the invention, an improved plate pack used to separate sludge, oil and the like from contaminated water is disclosed. This pack includes a conduit for carrying the contaminated water from a first to a second end, the conduit having side walls, a top and a bottom. The pack further includes a plurality of plates mounted within said conduit one above the other to provide a plurality of passageways, the plates being sufficiently displaced from one another to permit laminar flow of the contaminated water through the passageways. Each plate contains axial corrugations along the length of the conduit. The pack is disposed at an angle relative to the tank bottom so that contaminants in the liquid may exit the pack conduit under force of gravity.